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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mug — a face
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. can — a tin
  6. rock — music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. mug — a cup
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. deal — to handle
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. hand — help
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — a leader
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rock — a stone
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com